Tie bar for circuit breaker handles



y 1965 B. s. DARLOW 3,183,320

TIE BAR FOR CIRCUIT BREAKER HANDLES Filed Feb. 18, 1963 INVENTORS BRIAN DARLOW ATTORNEYS United States Patent Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 259,202 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-50) This invention relates to a tie bar :Eor connecting the handles of juxtaposed circuit breakers, switches or the like mounted in a distribution panel.

it is common practice to mount circuit breakers in a row in juxtaposed relation in a distribution panel or the like in electrical distribution systems. It is under many conditions desirable to operate the switch handles of more than one circuit breaker switch or the like simultaneously and for this purpose, channel shaped tie bars have been developed which engage the free ends of a plurality of circuit breaker handles to provide a convenient means for operating the interconnected handles simultaneously.

It is common to anchor the channel shaped tie bars by means of a bolt that extends therethr-ough and enters into at least one of the interconnected switch handles. The screwing down of the tie bars is a tedious operation and the small bolt employed tends to become misplaced or lost.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the earlier tie bars by avoiding the necessity for a bolt to secure the tie bar to the handle.

A tie bar according to this invention comprises a channel of resilient material having a bottom and opposed sides. The opposed sides have spur means thereon that dig into the handle as a result of the resilience of the material from which the channel is made to secure the tie 'bar on the handles with a holding force that will resist easy removal of the tie bar from the handles. The invention will be clearly understood after reference to the [following detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tie bar according to this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of a pair of circuit breakers having their handles interconnected by a tie bar according to this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a partial view along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

In the drawings, the numeral generally refers to a tie bar for connecting the handles 12 of juxtaposed circuit breakers 14. Circuit breakers 14 are customarily mounted in an electricity distribution panel in the relationship shown as is well known in the art.

The tie bar 10 is made firom a resilient steel and has a channel cross section comprised of bottom 16 and opposed sides 18 and 2d. The sides 18 and 20 are formed with spurs 22 that are die stricken by means of a tie from the sides thereof. The spurs are pointed and inclined towards the bottom 16 of the channel section of the tie bar.

The steel from which the tie bar is formed has a resilience that causes the spurs 22 to dig into the plastic or like handles 12 of the circuit breakers 14 as the tie bar is projected onto their free ends as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4. The resilience of the steel is such that the spurs thus dug into the handles will resist easy removal of the tie bar from the handles. Thus, the tie bar has been usefully mounted onto the handles without the use of evasive and minute bolts.

The channel member 10 can be of any appropriate length. In the embodiment of the invention shown it spans the handles of two circuit breakers. It can be made to span any practical number of breakers more than two. At the bottom, the tie bar is preferably formed windows 24 through which amperage markings 26 on the ends of the handles can be viewed.

Embodiments of the invention other than the one illust-rated will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is not the intention to be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated.

What I claim as my invention is:

'l. A tie bar for connecting the handles of juxtaposed circuit breakers, switches or the like comprosing a channel of a resilient material having a bottom and opposed sides, at least one of said sides having sharp: pointed spur means extending from the inside thereof, said material having a resilience to cause said spur means to dig into a handle as said tie bar is projected onto the free end of said handle with a holding force that will resist easy removal of said tie bar from said handles, said channel member having a length adapted to bridge the handles of at least two juxtaposed circuit breakers, switches, or the like, said spur means extending in a direction inclined towards the bottom of said channel.

2. A tie bar as claimed in claim 1 in which both of said sides have said spur means extending from the inside thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,382,738 8/45 Moyses 200-l72 2,703,827 3/55 Gelheiser 20050 3,040,140 6/62 Nimylowycz 200- BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TIE BAR FOR CONNECTING THE HANDLES OF JUXTAPOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS, SWITCHES OR THE LIKE COMPOSING A CHANNEL OF A RESILENT MATERIAL HAVING A BOTTOM AND OPPOSED SIDES, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDES HAVING SHARP POINTED SPUR MEANS EXTENDING FROM THE INSIDE THEREOF, SAID MATERIAL HAVING A RESILIENCE TO CAUSE SAID SPUR MEANS TO DIG INTO A HANDLE AS SAID TIE BAR IS PROJECTED ONTO THE FREE END OF SAID HANDLE WITH A HOLDING FORCE THAT WILL RESIST EASY REMOVAL OF SAID TIE BAR FROM SAID HANDLES, SAID CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING A LENGTH ADAPTED TO BRIDGE THE HANDLES OF AT LEAST TWO JUXTAPOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS, SWITCHES, OR THE LIKE, SAID SPUR MEANS EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION INCLINED TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHANNEL. 